The sound of a heart breaking
by B. Weasley
Summary: Daphne Greengrass wished that things were different; that her heart didn't hurt so bad.


**Enter for the Houses Competition Y5 - Round 5 - Eagles - Transfiguration**

**Prompt:** [Emotion] Heartbroken; [Action] Ending a marriage arrangement

**Category:** Standard

**Word count: **1.305

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_**The sound of a heart breaking**_

Daphne wished that things had turned out different; who knows if everything had happened at another time maybe they could have a chance. Or if he had made some different decisions during war… that's a lot of _what-ifs _and she doesn't want to think about them right now, not when this couldn't change a thing.

She asked if her father would end things for her since this was an idea of the patriarch of Greengrass; but his only answer was that she was the one who wished to end things, so she was the one who needs to say the words and end her engagement.

"Are you ready Miss? Your betrothed is here, waiting for you at Master's Office," Tink the older house-elf of the Greengrass asked Daphne, startling her awake.

"Thank you Tink, I'll be there in just a minute," she thanked the elf, who just popped and disappeared. Daphne sighed and with a last look to the mirror, she leaves the security of her room and started to walk in the direction of her Father's office.

Daphne started to remember all the good times that they had together before they started Hogwarts and before the war had started; when they were only kids, when they could pretend they have any choice.

"What are you thinking Daffy? I don't see you looking so pensive since the lesson we had last week," a boy asked Daphne, making the girl smile at hearing the nickname he gave her. It was silly to smile about something so silly, but she smiles nonetheless.

"I was thinking about what our parents are going to discuss at dinner tonight; I don't remember when our parents reunited to talk without us having to eat with them," Daphne answered, playing with her quill and don't looking the boy in his eyes. "You know what they are planning?"

"Not a clue, Father won't talk with me about those things, you know that," the boy replied, looking at a book in front of him. "But I have a clue that what they are going to discuss is about us."

"You think? But what they want to talk about?" Daphne asked, not wanting to believe in what he was saying.

"I don't know exactly, but I heard Father talking about your family and he was visiting the Gringotts Family Vault, and you know that he only does this when he is going to make very big decisions," the boy replied.

"That makes sense, but I guess we are going to wait and see," Daphne replied, returning to their lesson trying not to think about what this means.

Daphne now smiles when she remembered these conversations when the days were happy and they didn't have a single preoccupation in mind, other than what they could eat for dessert or have for tea. With a heavy heart, she opened the door of his Father's office, willing to finish everything quickly and without thinking much of this.

It was like the past hadn't passed, like when she entered for that door, she was transported directly to the past and they still were the same little kids that used to play together — and one day had fallen in love. Daphne could almost hear the sound of her heart's breaking just to looking at him again.

"_Daffy_," he said like a pray. Like Daphne was a goddess and he was worshipping her; her heart broke a little more after hearing that only word coming from his mouth.

"_Theo_," Daphne sighed, trying to have his image imprinted on her mind the way it was right now. "I hope that you didn't have to wait for much."

"You know that I don't mind to wait for you, no matter how much time I have to sit in these, surprisingly, comfortable chairs," Theo replied with a smile on his face.

Theodore Nott, her betrothed. Daphne liked Theo since they met when they were only three years old. They used to play together back then and started to have some lessons before Hogwarts; it was in that time that their fathers arranged a marriage between the families, promising each other that Daphne and Theodore will be married not long after they graduate from Hogwarts. Daphne just wished that she didn't love Theo, that she was just like any other _Pure-blood_ girl who just don't even like her betrothed.

"So, are you going to say why you ask me to come here today? Your letter didn't really say anything," Theo said, standing up to go hug her — probably — but she stopped him before he could reach her. This action made a frown appears on his face, and made Daphne's heart breaks a little more.

"I… I…" Daphne didn't know exactly how to continue the conversation without losing her heart in the process. "I need to tell you something, Theo."

"You know you can say anything you want to me Daffy, we don't keep secrets from each other remember?" Theo said, trying to approach the girl again but Daphne only raised her hand and he stopped where he was.

"I don't want to marry you anymore, we need to break our arrangement," Daphne said without preamble. She saw the exact moment that her words register in Theo's mind because his eyes who were always open and receive for her, now were clouded and he tightened his jaw.

"I beg your pardon, I don't think that I understand what you are saying," Theo replied with such a cold voice that made Daphne take a step back in fear. This wasn't the Theo that she knew and _loved._ Daphne realized at that moment that while she used her heart on her sleeve, Theo always hides his emotions behind his eyes, just like he is doing now.

"I said that I want to end our marriage arrangement, I don't want to marry you," Daphne started to say, begging to her brain to not start to cry, not yet. "After the events that occurred in these past months, I don't believe that you are the same person that I met years ago."

"Just because I change you want to end everything that we build over the years? What is happening with you, _Daphne_?" Theo asked with such a cold voice that made Daphne cringe; but she later realized that she became sadder because of him calling her Daphne, than the tone of his voice.

"It's not because you change, but you abandoned me, Theodore!" Daphne replied in a low voice; if he wants to call her by her name, she will play by his rules. "The moment that the war really started, you flew the country and leave me behind… I thought that you loved me."

Theo didn't look her in the eyes, and that was what breaks Daphne's heart for good; he wasn't going to admit what he did, not even was going to say why. She couldn't take this anymore, she needs to end things right now.

"Since you don't have an answer to this, I believe we are done; I'll ask to my Father to send your ring to you vault in Gringotts and we don't need to meet no more," she said, glad that her voice was strong enough, even if her inside was crumbling. "Good-bye, Mr. Nott."

And without looking at him or waiting for an answer that maybe never will come, Daphne leaves the room — and what once was her future. She didn't make any sound returning to her room, but Tink will say to her Master that she could hear the oldest Greengrass crying. What the little elf couldn't say was that she heard the sound of Daphne Greengrass heart's breaking; this is a sound that only Daphne could hear, and that will accompany her for her entire life. A life without Theo.


End file.
